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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443146">Risotto with a Side of Feels</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelovestoship/pseuds/shelovestoship'>shelovestoship</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ethan is a doctor never gets to have any fun (and we like that), F/M, Gen, Valentine's Day, just a little cute thing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:41:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,344</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelovestoship/pseuds/shelovestoship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan cancels their Valentine's Day plans at the minute. Magnum is more than happy to eat his risotto.</p><p>(And when I say risotto I mean actual risotto).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Juliet Higgins &amp; Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Juliet Higgins/Ethan Shah (referenced), Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Risotto with a Side of Feels</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was both me wanting to do something with Valentine’s day and having Juliet dealing a tiny bit / moving on with Richard’s death (why are we not getting that in the show? Come on that was one of the things I actually was excited for when I heard about Ethan showing up!)</p><p>Also, I just had risotto for the first time in my life (weird, I know, and I’ve even been to Italy) last night which is why I felt like writing something that includes it...</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Risotto with a Side of Feels</strong>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally Magnum loved Valentine’s Day. It was the holiday of love and romance and he always made sure to have a date (or two lined up). This year he wasn’t quite as excited. He wasn’t quite sure why though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since Rick was having ‘Valentine’s Singles Special’ on all drinks and he’d decided that was his best bet. Mostly he figured anything was better than sitting alone in the guest house, trying very much not to think about what Juliet and Ethan were up to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was just about to head out when his phone rang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Higgy,” he answered while grabbing his keys. Despite not meaning to he felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “What can I do for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s more what I can do for you,” she said, sounding a little...well, off. “Do you want dinner? I’m making </span>
  <em>
    <span>Risotto ai Fruitti di Mare.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t Ethan coming over?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Valentine’s Day after all.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as much as she’d spent the last few weeks being slightly annoyed at all the commercial aspects of the holiday, mocking heart-shaped candies and overpriced cards, he knew she was looking forward to spending it with her new bae.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He got called into work,” she said stiffly. “I’ve already started the risotto and it’s way too much for me to even attempt to eat on my own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Risotto ai Fruitti di Mare? That’s with scallops and stuff right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amongst other things, yes,” she agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you use our forever 30% off coupon at the Shrimp Place to buy it?” he asked, hoping she had because she’d said that was the most useless thing he’d ever accepted as payment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you that’d come in handy!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You eating or not Thomas?” She hesitated for a second. “Or do you have plans already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnum figured La Marianna and the guys would survive one night without him. And maybe once dinner was done he and Higgy could head down there together? Or maybe not, since he figured seafood would mean a bottle (or two) of some nice white wine...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. No plans. See you in two.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna send Ethan a picture,” Magnum said, as she put the dish of saffron-infused risotto on the table between their plates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The carefully set table with wine glasses and candles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Probably he should have suggested they eat on the terrace or something. To make it less...date-like.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The red dress she was wearing didn’t help either. It was… more delicious-looking than the meal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do that,” she said, with a frown. “He felt really bad having to cancel at the last minute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well he should,” he said, “Now stand there and smile. I know it will be difficult for you but do try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha”. She didn’t smile or stay in the picture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on!” He called after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted Ethan to know what he was missing. And that Magnum was getting it in his stead. Was that maybe a tad bit strange? He decided to chalk it up to sleep deprivation. Yup. That was it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No”. She came back with the wine. White, since it was seafood. “Let’s not make him feel bad. It is Valentine’s Day after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which you’ve spent the last two weeks claiming is a capitalist money crab making people buy candy that will give them bad teeth and diabetes and also creates pressure on women-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what I said-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one brought you any Valentine’s in high school huh?” he teased. “I guess that is bound to scar a girl for life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t have things like that,” she said, sitting down and starting to pour the wine. “I also went to an all girls school so...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that actually explains a thing or two about you,” he said. “Smile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magnum!” she cried as he snapped a couple of shots with his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on! This is a special moment, you’re both feeding me and pouring me wine? Too good to pass up.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Plus, I want to remember how you look in that dress forever.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed. “Just don’t send it to Ethan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He would...but he’d respect her wishes and keep it to himself. He supposed it really wasn’t very Valentine's Day of him to tease Ethan…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” she said when he reached for the serving spoon. “Put the parmesan on first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be like that Thomas,” she said, giving him her best sweet face. “You want the full flavour effect of this, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah sure.” he said, grating some cheese from the block she’d brought over, on top of the risotto. He used a lot. Because cheese was awesome? And she didn’t protest. “Special family recipe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No...in a way.” She looked down at her plate as he put the yellow rice on it. There was a slight change to her as she looked at it. Like a little bit of her vibrancy just… disappeared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put risotto on his own plate and took a bite. “It’s good.” And it was. He couldn’t really remember having risotto before, he knew he had had it, once or twice, but there had been very little to remember about those experiences. This on the other hand was great. “Really good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sound so surprised,” she said, reaching for her wine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve had your chicken wraps, dry as cardboard,” he teased. “This is totally awesome.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well with the amount of butter in there, it should be.” But rather than eat, she just ran her fork through it, looking at it sadly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t we just have a talk about being honest with each other the other day?” He’d been surprised she even remembered him telling her they needed to be honest, communicate. Even more so having her admit that he was in fact important to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hesitated for a second. “Richard taught me how to make it. His granny loved Italy. Had a house in Rimini.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was supposed to go undercover the next day,” she said, “Deep cover. He said I needed to think about something else and nothing was better for that than stirring risotto.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or maybe he was just tired of dry chicken sandwiches?” he said, regretting it almost immediately. But wherever he saw her sad, he just wanted to make her smile again. And sometimes little juvenile quips were all he could think up. “It’s very good. How about you have a bite?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at him finally and he was surprised to see her eyes were shiny. “I don’t know why I decided to make this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do,” he said, smiling. “It was a good memory. A good dish. You wanted to share that with Ethan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why that fact made Magnum’s own heart hurt a little at that idea, didn’t matter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “That does make some amount of sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have occasional brilliant insights.” He did his best to give her a cheeky grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More than the occasional one.” She surprised him by reaching out and putting her hand over his. “Thank you Thomas. I’m glad… I’m glad you’re the one I’m sharing this with and not...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad too,” he said, not daring to even look or move his hand even an inch. Trying to just not pretend how much her words meant. Playing it off like it was nothing. When it was, maybe, </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “It’s delicious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought after dinner we could watch those Indian Johson films you keep telling me will change my life.” She took her hand back and picked up her fork again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Indiana Jones!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I’m sure-” She was grinning. “You’re teasing me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might not be that interested in pop culture but I do know </span>
  <em>
    <span>some </span>
  </em>
  <span>things.” She shook her head. “Honestly Thomas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she kept on smiling. And he couldn't help but to join her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe, just maybe, he realized right then, there was no better way he could possibly imagine spending Valentine's Day...</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was just a little thing which I’ve been hoping to see more of and I do hope we get an episode where Juliet starts dealing with stuff because her relationship with Ethan brings up memories of Richard (and that she ends up talking to Magnum about moving on and love and all that good stuff…)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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